Purple Friday kicks off wild Ravens weekend in Harford

A home in the Dixie Meadows community in Forest Hill shows off its owners' Ravens pride, as Harford County gears up for another big Ravens playoff weekend.

A home in the Dixie Meadows community in Forest Hill shows off its owners' Ravens pride, as Harford County gears up for another big Ravens playoff weekend. (MATT BUTTON | AEGIS STAFF, Patuxent Homestead)

It's going to be a very purple weekend for bars all over Harford County.

Watering holes around Aberdeen, Bel Air and Havre de Grace are gearing up for plenty of Ravens fans pouring in to celebrate what they hope will be a decisive win against the New England Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship in Foxboro, Mass.

Although the Ravens game is Sunday, many businesses are "pre-gaming" with Purple Friday specials planned in a number of bars.

Bel Air resident Qadry Ismail, a member of the 2001 Ravens Super Bowl team, could hardly contain his excitement in the broadcast booth last Saturday in Denver when the Ravens beat the Broncos, 38-35 in double overtime.

Dark Horse patrons cheered and hugged each other, and chanted Ravens' fans' signature rendition of "Seven Nation Army" as the Ravens cruised to a 34-31 victory in Super Bowl XLVII over the San Francisco 49ers.